OMH Chapter 68
by VolareThe researcher lowered his extended hand.
I hardened my resolve and stared at the researcher. In a fight, seizing the initiative is important, so I would immediately pounce if I saw an opening.
Usually, researchers are very rude, so now is the time for him to say something nasty to Cha Woojin.
As I expected, the researcher opened his mouth to say something.
However, the words that came out of his mouth were completely different from what I expected.
“I’m sorry for scaring you, little one. Uncle was wrong.”
“Huh? What’s this? An apology? From you?”
I was so taken aback that the words I should have kept to myself came out.
The researcher looked at me, seemingly dumbfounded.
“Is it strange that I admit my mistake and apologize?”
“Well, kind of?”
“……What do you take me for?”
‘Well, I see you as an arrogant researcher who ignores Association members.’
This time, I managed to keep my thoughts to myself.
Then the researcher quickly turned his gaze away from me. He looked at Cha Woojin with a subservient attitude, as if he had no interest in me.
“The child looks very bright and resembles Guide very much. But if he’s a civilian, he won’t be able to enter the Guide facility, so are you planning to move to Downtown?”
“……?”
Cha Woojin was flustered by the researcher’s sudden personal questions.
Cha Woojin looked cute like the Little Mermaid who had her voice stolen by the witch, but I couldn’t just leave him flustered in a difficult situation.
I grabbed Cha Woojin’s hand and weaved through the crowd to leave the area.
Cha Wooreen, who was nestled quietly in Cha Woojin’s arms, asked.
“Oppa, are we moving?”
“Huh? Moving? Why all of a sudden?”
“That man said ‘relocation’ earlier. Aren’t we moving?”
I, as well as Cha Woojin, were taken aback by Cha Wooreen’s sudden question.
Why is she suddenly understanding everything now when she usually lacks vocabulary?
I also turned to look at Cha Woojin.
Cha Woojin is currently staying with me because he’s in a difficult situation, but he might get a house in the residential area when he has the means.
The Association would stop him if he was a high-grade Esper, but Cha Woojin is a D-grade and has the support of the Guide Bureau Director, so it was entirely possible.
At this point, I became curious.
“Cha Woojin, are you going to move out and not live with me?”
Before I knew it, I was so close to Cha Woojin that our faces were very near.
But I’m curious if Cha Woojin wants to live separately from me. I’m not like that researcher from earlier.
I moved even closer, too curious about Cha Woojin’s thoughts.
Cha Woojin, whose face was gradually turning red, pushed my face away with his palm.
“……This is too, too close.”
I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t answer because Cha Woojin’s palm was blocking my mouth.
Cha Woojin pushed me away with his long, straight arm. It was a weak force, but I obediently stepped back because Cha Woojin wanted it.
Cha Woojin, who had pushed me away to some extent, finally took his palm off my face.
Having secured my vision, I only looked at Cha Woojin with longing.
Cha Woojin’s face, like a pure white marble sculpture, was tinged with pink. It might feel awkward, like a spring flower blooming on a snowy mountain, but the fact that it seemed to defy such providence made it even more beautiful.
Cha Woojin said, opening his cherry blossom petal-like lips.
“Si, since we’re running late, let’s go to the monster habitat quickly.”
Cha Woojin walked ahead of me with large steps.
He must be embarrassed, as his ears were red like peony petals.
‘His shyness is cute, and the way he blushes easily is cute too.’
I followed behind Cha Woojin to move to the monster habitat.
*
The people at the Monster Sideburns Habitat were full of energy today. The results of yesterday’s evaluation and meeting must have been good.
But they didn’t welcome Cha Wooreen either.
“Oh my, who’s this little kid? Oh~ Guide’s child. Looks just like him~ Are you leaving soon?”
“A tour? A tour? An ordinary civilian? That’s…… Hmm~”
“Now that we’ve passed the safety test, ordinary people can come into contact. How about making him the first ordinary person to come into contact as a commemoration?”
“Oh~ that’s a good idea! Let’s do it! You can come in, little guest~”
“…….”
I couldn’t show my dislike even though those nasty researchers were openly saying that they would use Cha Wooreen for experiments. It was obvious that it would be better to enter the monster habitat with Cha Wooreen than to leave her to those people.
Still, the researchers had a minimum of conscience and prepared protective gear in a size that Cha Wooreen could wear.
Cha Wooreen herself seemed happy to be wearing protective gear like Cha Woojin and me.
“Oppa, Oppa! Look at this! It’s mine!”
“Yes, yes. I’ll help you put it on. Come here.”
“No. I’ll do it myself.”
When I approached to help her put on the clothes, Cha Wooreen ran away diligently with her short legs.
She only has independence in strange places. Cha Woojin, I helped him wear it the first time, how are you going to put it on yourself?
As expected, Cha Wooreen tripped over the straps after undoing all the fastening straps of the equipment and running around.
“Waaaaah! It hurts-”
Of course, it would hurt. The floor here is made of special metal that can withstand the monsters’ attacks with minimal damage, in case of an emergency. Not even a single carpet was laid to minimize fire damage.
It would hurt a lot to fall on such a floor.
“Cha Wooreen, are you okay? Look at oppa. Where does it hurt?”
“Here, hic. It hurts here.”
A startled Cha Woojin immediately checked on Cha Wooreen.
I also approached and checked on Cha Wooreen.
The knee that Cha Wooreen claimed was hurting wasn’t even scratched or bruised.
‘What’s wrong with her? Is she just faking it?’
I even touched her, wondering if she had hurt her bone, but she was fine. Come to think of it, she’s quite sturdy.
“Wooreen, you’re not hurt at all~ Brave children don’t cry. Get up quickly.”
“No. It hurts. It hurts, so oppa has to ‘hoo’ it for me.”
“Yes, yes. I’ll do it.”
“Not Hana Oppa! My oppa!”
When I tried to listen to her whining, Cha Wooreen pulled my hair and got angry. She’s such a stubborn and bad-tempered little kid.
The kind and gentle Cha Woojin indulged Cha Wooreen’s whim.
“There, does it not hurt anymore?”
“No, it hurts, so hug me.”
“…….”
Cha Woojin and I finished taking care of Cha Wooreen and finally entered the monster habitat.
Cha Wooreen, who entered the monster habitat in Cha Woojin’s arms, started making a fuss as soon as she entered, demanding to be let down.
Standing on her own two feet inside the monster habitat, Cha Wooreen ran around like a colt off its leash.
“Oppa! There’s something strange over there!”
What Cha Wooreen pointed at was, of course, the Monster Sideburns. This is their home, after all.
Maybe it was because the monsters were small, but Cha Wooreen wasn’t scared and charged towards them.
-Squeak?!
-Squeak!
And an amazing sight unfolded.
Those who weren’t afraid of even big adult men like Cha Woojin and Lee Han-sae were running away from Cha Wooreen.
“Where are you going? Take me with you!”
Of course, Cha Wooreen didn’t get discouraged because the monsters ran away.
She chased after the monsters with the intention of chasing them to the end of the earth, so the monster habitat was noisy with the sounds of Cha Wooreen and the monsters’ footsteps.
At that moment, the speaker on the wall of the monster habitat rang.
[Gang Hana Esper, Cha Woojin Guide. Please stop that child. The Mirnarae are suffering!]
The researchers behind the glass were begging for us to stop Cha Wooreen, but I didn’t really want to listen.
‘If Cha Wooreen runs around like that and wears herself out, she’ll sleep well at night, so why would I stop her? It’s not like she’s hurting anyone.’
Cha Woojin and I ignored the researchers and scattered the food in the feed troughs or on the floor.
We can leave as soon as we empty the feed troughs, so we should finish it appropriately and leave.
*
Cha Wooreen, who had done whatever she wanted all day, seemed very happy.
She hummed a song by herself, and while eating, she suddenly hugged Cha Woojin and even kissed me on the cheek for some reason.
I’m a little embarrassed. Are you really Cha Wooreen? Did you switch places with the Monster Sideburns? Like your insides have changed, or you’re a disguised sideburn.
Of course, I didn’t say these words directly because I’m a civilized person.
It’s best to just finish everything you need to do and put Cha Wooreen to bed when she’s in a good mood, there’s no need to offend her.
But Cha Woojin seemed to think a little differently.
“Cha Wooreen, now that you’re seven years old, let’s do this.”
Cha Woojin brought a Korean language study book and handed it to her.
“Hmm~ I don’t want to do it today~”
Cha Wooreen refused Cha Woojin’s suggestion with a bright smile.
But Cha Woojin didn’t back down with just that much refusal.
“We decided to study Korean when you turned seven. A seven-year-old who can’t even write her own name is a fool. Cha Wooreen, do you want to be a fool?”
Ah…… This conversation pattern has a bad flow. If it progresses any further, Cha Wooreen will cry and everyone will be embarrassed.
I jumped into the conversation to change the flow of the atmosphere.
“If Wooreen studies Korean, Oppa will study with you too. You can study with Oppa, right~?”
“Oppa is studying Korean too?”
“No, that’s not possible. I’m studying something else.”
“Can’t we just not do it today? If we don’t, I’ll show you a treasure.”
‘Why does this kid try to negotiate so often?’
But it was a tempting offer.
“What’s the treasure?”
“Wait a minute.”
Cha Wooreen ran away and brought her kindergarten bag.
That kindergarten bag is Cha Wooreen’s fashion item, and she always carries it around even when she doesn’t go to kindergarten.
Of course, today too, she took turns entrusting it to me and Cha Woojin and carried it around all day.
“I got this today. Look.”
Cha Wooreen carefully opened her bag like someone smuggling cocoa powder in Downtown.
And inside that bag was a pure white ball.
“What is this? Where did you get that ball?”
I put my hand in Cha Wooreen’s bag and took out the ball.
But the texture of the ball was strange.
“What is this? It’s not rubber or plastic…… Huh?”
The ball that I took out of Cha Wooreen’s bag was also strangely shaped.
The ball was an oval about 20 centimeters in size.
Are there even oval-shaped balls? When I touch it, it feels like it has warmth…….
Ah, wait a minute. Could this be…….
“Wooreen…… Where did you get this? The monster habitat?”
“A winged puppy gave it to me as a present earlier.”
Cha Wooreen, who doesn’t know what a puppy is, called the monster she saw in the monster habitat a puppy. In order not to cause unnecessary panic, I didn’t correct her, so this child knows that the Monster Sideburns are puppies.
Anyway, Cha Wooreen’s answer confirmed my suspicions.
Our roommate had stolen a monster egg from the monster habitat.
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